Spell Scroll

Scroll, varies

A spell scroll bears the words of a single spell, written in a mystical cipher. If the spell is on your class’s spell list, you can read the scroll and cast its spell without providing any material components. Otherwise, the scroll is unintelligible. Casting the spell by reading the scroll requires the spell’s normal casting time. Once the spell is cast, the words on the scroll fade, and it crumbles to dust. If the casting is interrupted, the scroll is not lost.

If the spell is on your class’s spell list but of a higher level than you can normally cast, you must make an ability check using your spellcasting ability to determine whether you cast it successfully. The DC equals 10 + the spell’s level. On a failed check, the spell disappears from the scroll with no other effect.

The level of the spell on the scroll determines the spell’s saving throw DC and attack bonus, as well as the scroll’s rarity, as shown in the Spell Scroll table.

Spell Level

Rarity

Save DC

Attack Bonus

Cantrip

Common

13

+5

1st

Common

13

+5

2nd

Uncommon

13

+5

3rd

Uncommon

15

+7

4th

Rare

15

+7

5th

Rare

17

+9

6th

Very rare

17

+9

7th

Very rare

18

+10

8th

Very rare

18

+10

9th

Legendary

19

+11

A wizard spell on a spell scroll can be copied just as spells in spellbooks can be copied. When a spell is copied from a spell scroll, the copier must succeed on an Intelligence (Arcana) check with a DC equal to 10 + the spell's level. If the check succeeds, the spell is successfully copied. Whether the check succeeds or fails, the spell scroll is destroyed.

Below, I have a link and description of where to find this info in the player's handbook. The only real difference is that the player's handbook it is more generic about the rules and doesn't mention the spell scroll specifically, just that if you happen to find a wizard spell you can copy it into your spellbook. As such, it also leaves out the part about the spell scroll being consumed by the process. I don't have my physical copy of the player's handbook, but I would assume that it's there as well. I don't like rules or abilities relegated to sidebars because they become very easy for people to pass over; people like myself.

Oh I read that I was talking about how it fails to mention in there that you have to make an arcana check to copy a spell from a scroll into your book.

Because that's not a property of the Spell Scroll, but part of the Spellcasting ability for Wizards. You wouldn't search for the Cleric's Divine Smite extra damage in the Weapons section of the Equipment chapter either, would you? :)

ok there seems to be a contradiction, the DMG in the section "Magic Items Categories" it says that

"Unless a scroll's description says otherwise, any creature that can understand a written language can read the script on a scroll and attempt to activate it."

But this page says

"A spell scroll bears the words of a single spell, written in a mystical cipher. If the spell is on your class’s spell list, you can read the scroll and cast its spell without providing any material components. Otherwise, the scroll is unintelligible."

So which is it? Seems to unnecessarily kneecap scrolls if only people who know the spell already can use them.

My understanding of it is that scrolls are essentially a way to bank or store magic, in such a way that a spell can be used some time in the future with out having to expend magical energy (spell Slot) or expensive / seasonal or hard to get components. As such the user of the scroll would still have to understand magic and be skilled an particular domain, but all the work of preparing spell has already been done for them.

Essentially scrolls are a freebee spell slot but only for a particular spell. Now where spell scrolls get interesting is if player characters have the opportunity to be able to craft them themselves during there downtime using appropriate craft skills / tools / materials. A half dozen hours spent ornately drawing a ‘Prayer of Healing’ Scroll when the player has time and materials to burn might just be the thing that saves the party’s skin a couple of sessions down the line.

‘If you just want to give a non magic user access to a particular spell, knock up a wand or ring/magical item that has something like 1d4 +1 charges every 24 hours. Cantrip rings are a particular favorite of mine.